| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Historical Lecturers and Essays by Charles Kingsley: the heads of all the young surgeons in Italy and France; he has
written a great book, with prints in it, designed, some say, by
Titian--they were actually done by another Netherlander, John of
Calcar, near Cleves--in which he has dared to prove that Galen's
anatomy was at fault throughout, and that he had been describing a
monkey's inside when he had pretended to be describing a man's; and
thus, by impudence and quackery, he has wormed himself--this
Netherlander, a heretic at heart, as all Netherlanders are, to God
as well as to Galen--into the confidence of the late Emperor Charles
V., and gone campaigning with him as one of his physicians,
anatomising human bodies even on the battle-field, and defacing the
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Pool of Blood in the Pastor's Study by Grace Isabel Colbron and Augusta Groner: answered in his place. "It is a sudden indisposition," he said.
"Lead me to No. 302, who is waiting for us, I suppose. The doctor
wants to lie down a moment in his own room."
Gyuri glanced distrustfully at this man whom he had met for the
first time to-day, but who was no stranger to him - for he had
already learned the identity of the guest in the rectory. Then
he turned his eyes on his master. The latter nodded and said:
"Take the gentleman to Varna's room. I will follow shortly."
The cell to which they went was the first one at the head of the
staircase. "Extremely convenient," thought Muller to himself. It
was a large room, comfortably furnished and filled now with the red
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: often even in spite of a native shyness; but through appetite for food
they are drawn towards the bait, and are caught; while others are
similarly ensnared by drink?
[6] [SS. 4, 5, L. Dind. ed Lips.]
Ar. Undoubtedly.
Soc. And others again are victims of amorous heat, as quails, for
instance, or partridges, which, at the cry of the hen-bird, with lust
and expectation of such joys grow wild, and lose their power of
computing dangers: on they rush, and fall into the snare of the
hunter?
Aristippus assented.
The Memorabilia |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Kenilworth by Walter Scott: rein of the palfrey from the uncertain hold of the hesitating
young boor, flung him a small piece of money, and made amends for
lost time by riding briskly off without further parley. The lad
was still visible from the hill up which they were riding, and
Wayland, as he looked back, beheld him standing with his fingers
in his hair as immovable as a guide-post, and his head turned in
the direction in which they were escaping from him. At length,
just as they topped the hill, he saw the clown stoop to lift up
the silver groat which his benevolence had imparted. "Now this
is what I call a Godsend," said Wayland; "this is a bonny, well-
ridden bit of a going thing, and it will carry us so far till we
Kenilworth |
